Welcome to Screen Sisters, a collection of conversations about what it means to be a woman working in television both in front of and behind the camera.
As well as recognising their contribution to the industry, the series will also examine the highs and lows of working in media, how far television has progressed, and how much further it still has to go.
This week, we're talking to The Gilded Age costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone.
The Gilded Age can only be described as a feast for the eyes and costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone's work is a part of what makes it such a gorgeous spectacle to behold.
Next to the incredibly opulent and intricately detailed set design, Kasia's wardrobe holds its own.
"It was a feast because that period was," she explains. "What was crucial about discovering the spirit [of The Gilded Age] was finding that excitement of the period that existed in 1882. It was an extraordinary, vibrant time."
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During her exclusive chat with Digital Spy, Kasia talked about the social and economical changes and challenges of that era that made it so extraordinarily vibrant and that were reflected in the show.
It was post-industrial revolution and while Morgan Spector's George Russell had the business world to contend with, his wife Bertha (played by Carrie Coon) was fighting battles within high society. More specifically, her ambitions to break into their inner circle as a woman of new money and be considered their equal.
The Gilded Age is told mostly from the perspective of the women and is in its basic form is about power.
Those trying to obtain it – Bertha and Kelley Curran's Turner, who attempts to get ahead by trying to seduce Mr Russell – and those trying to retain it: the old money clan Mrs van Rhijn and Mrs Astor played by Christine Baranski and Donna Murphy, respectively.
These complex women are striving for their own definition of greatness within a system that has limited expectations of them. A system which praises the excellent running of a home is run and sizeable charitable donations, while placing high importance on a good marriage match.
However, according to Kasia, The Gilded Age women are not to be underestimated.
"Women had a lot of power in that period," she says and it's tied to their femininity. She used her research and her knowledge of the period to infuse this fact into the glorious threads of her Gilded Age women.
A cinched-in waist may not scream control on the surface, but dig a little further and you'll be surprised.
"1882 provides us with that extremely feminine silhouette. There is this really exaggerated waist and there is this bustle that accentuates the hips. It creates quite this provocative silhouette just by style period and I think that's also connected to the idea of women being on the market for their husbands," Kasia explains.
"It's a powerful tool for women in a way that is quite unexpected as we discover. I think that the silhouette of that period serves us very well, using that femininity is a very powerful tool."
The costumes were multi-purpose so, as Kasia notes, "They still provoke express power, sexiness, femininity, function".
No other character embodies that better than Carrie Coon's Bertha. Bertha is the perfect example of that fine balance between breaking the mould while appearing to be working within the societal constraint placed on women of that period. A fact not lost on Kasia.
"Murphy is such a fun character on the page," she enthuses. "She builds a house bigger than everybody else, she spends more money than everybody else, she brings the biggest cheques to the functions. She clearly has an endless amount of money.
"Also she doesn't come from the tradition of the old world, yet she's trying to be part of the society. So is that fine balance of how do you create a character for an HBO series called Gilded Age. All of it just entails glamour and somebody that shines.
"We [the audience] with our perception of contemporary fashions of previous fashions, we need to be able to enjoy that person. Like, 'Oh my God, who is that? Who's showed up here?'. At the same time, it's a fine line. This woman is trying to be part of a society.
"So my challenge was to figure out how to make her different from Mrs Astor's world, but without breaking too many rules so that in the end, she's becoming part of that society. She just wants to be another version of them."
Kasia continues: "It's like building blocks. Is that too big? Is it too small or too flat? Is it too steep? You play around, and then you just blend after all the discussions and all the collaborations, you blend. That's always a challenge for us, right? How do we become part of the story compromising all the other elements?"
Carrie's larger-than-life character slots effortlessly into creator Julian Fellowes' world despite her grandiose ambitions, especially when compared to that of her husband George's traditional attire.
According to Kasia, it was Julian's intention to give not only George, but all the men a more pared down look allowing for the women to take centre stage. Historically the men of that period were "manifesting much wilder and bigger, colourful approaches" to fashion than the Gilded lot.
"Strict rules of society" was the fashion code for the Gilded Age men. Referring back to the cast, Kasia says, "The men of business wore black, charcoal, and a bit of colour in their waistcoats and their ties".
This is in juxtaposition with the position men would have held in society at that time. 1882's man was to be revered, was powerful and certainly valued above any and all women. The show's feminist approach during a repressive period for women helps us to fully appreciate and focus more intently on the power struggles at play in there own world.
Kasia says: "We agreed with Julian that's how we're going to approach the men. We were very conservative with men, they were going to be this solid, elegant, measured giant palette for women to shine, as we know, history periods."
The season finale of The Gilded Age is a victorious one for Bertha having finally won over her peers. Her success culminates in a ball held in honour of her daughter Gladys' 'coming out'.
In it she adorns a elegant sleeveless monochrome ball gown with tulle detail and a train to rival princess Diana. Talk about doing it big, however it seems Kasia – like Mrs Russell – has grander plans for season two.
"[In season one] we learnt the rules of the game so I hope that we can play it even better. That we're going to have more fun. That all of the elements are just going to be another huge enjoyment in creation. It's big, it's glamorous that's all I can say."
The Gilded Age is available to watch now on streaming service NOW. All nine episodes are also available to buy across all major digital platforms and to pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray™
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
